1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing lure holders and more particularly pertains to a fly fisherman's lure holder which may be conveniently attached to the person of a fly fisherman and enable the fisherman to retrieve and replace fly lures with the use of a single hand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of lure holders for the sport and food gathering process of fishing is known in the prior art. More specifically, fishing lure holders heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of holding fly fishing lures on one's person during fishing are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The present invention is directed to improving devices for holding fishing lures on one's person in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,843 to Ortynski discloses a wearable fisherman's lure and fly carrier affixed to the fisherman's person by a belt and having a multiplicity of compartments for the purpose of holding lures wherein all compartments are simultaneously opened or closed by a single lid. When lures are disposed within the carrier for the purpose of storage the lure compartment portion of the carrier is rotated presenting the lures in a vertical arrangement. A reversal of the rotation and opening of the lid presents all the lures in a horizontal disposition wherein access is possible for manual lure removal and use. A primary disadvantage in the Ortynski prior art is a propensity for loss of one or more lures resulting from jarring incurred during the lid opening process or in the event the fisherman loses footing while preparing for a lure change. The present invention employs a permanent magnetic lure retainer and does not generally require any lid or other closure to prevent lure loss under a variety of adverse conditions. Furthermore, the lid of the Ortynski invention is susceptible to breakage and since the lid necessarily extends more than two lure lengths away from the fisherman's body there is a likelihood of the entire carrier becoming entangled in any line or equipment employed in the art of fishing. The present invention presents no more or less firm extension away from the fisherman's body when used, rather the lure holder is simply inverted and a lure is grasped for simple removal with minimal danger of entanglement with any lines or equipment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,577 to Abbotoy a fishing lure container is disclosed. The Abbotoy invention comprises a folding fishing lure assembly having at least two tiers of detachable capped tubes in which lures are stored for use. The lure container disclosed is affixed to an interior sidewall of a boat using an inverted J shaped hook and is not generally described as being worn by an individual. The present invention comprises a multiplicity of tubular lure holders incapable of detachment and having no lids therein being unsusceptible to loss or misplacement of these critical parts. And furthermore, the present invention is designed for simple wear on the person of the fisherman and is not solely limited to employ from a boat or other watercraft.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,085 to Stremeckus a fish lure box is described having a hingedly attached lid and a hingedly attached interior panel which in combination cover and hold all the lures contained therein in a organized manner. The Stremeckus invention is not generally affixable to the person of a fisherman and the operations required to extract a single lure from the box are not readily nor rapidly performable during an active fishing session. The present invention likewise presents organization of lures however a significant advantage lies in the ability of an untrained fisherman to invert the lure holder and extract a single lure in a single operation and using one hand.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,588 to Echols a jig and fly box is disclosed for holding and displaying a multiplicity of fishing lures for facilitating selection of a single lure from a large assortment. A disadvantage in this prior art lies in a lack of a capability for wear by fishermen and the complexity of operations involved in removal of a single lure. The present invention is worn by fishermen and provides for equivalent visual identification and selection of a lure and, most importantly, enables a fisherman to extract a lure with one hand in a single operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,2880 to Beneke discloses a container for an offshore fishing lure. The disclosure teaches a singular capped tubular fishing lure holder having a slot in said cap and two opposing hooks affixed to the tube ends in a manner permitting the leader line of an enclosed fishing lure to be externally wrapped and thereby stored about the two hooks. The disclosure makes no provision for holding a multiplicity of lures or an interattachement to other similar tubular containers. Furthermore, there are no provisions for a magnetic lure retainer. There is no teaching to affix the container to the fisherman's person. The present invention comprises a structure for magnetically holding a multiplicity of lures on the person of a fisherman and is not generally employed for those lures having long leaders as in offshore fishing.
In this respect, the fly fisherman's lure holder according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of holding lures used in fly fishing or similar fishing forms wherein the fisherman requires rapid change of a lure with a single hand and without having access to boats, tables or provisions other than those carried upon his person.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved fly fisherman's lure holder which can be used to hold fishing lures on the person of a fisherman and a method of removing the lures using one hand only. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to improve fishing lure holders. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.